What is the Flehmen Response and Why is it Used?

Flehmen response - Alchetron, The Free Social Encyclopedia

Flehmen Response of the Siberian Tiger

The flehmen response is a behavior seen in many mammals especially horses, antelope, and big predators. The animal curls back its upper lip, opens its mouth slightly, and pauses as if grimacing or smiling. The flehmen response is not aggression or a snarl. It’s a chemical analysis tha animals use to: 1. Draw scent molecules, called pheromones into a special organ called the vomeronasal organ (Jacobson’s organ). 2. They gather information about reproductive status, territory, or the presence of o

1.2K views · 61 reactions | Check it out: Thistle's flehmen response! He opens his lips and mouth wide to help collect more scent particles. It's a bit like smelling and tasting all at once. A flehmen response helps animals better analyze a particular scent - like the one Thistle found on Zookeeper Jessica's wrist! | NEW Zoo & Adventure Park | Facebook

Start of a sneeze or Flehmen response? Many animals will form this sort of 'stink' or 'smirk' face, referred to as the Flehmen response. This response is all about smell and is initiated when animals draw air into their olfactory (smell) organs, intensifying the surrounding smell. | Gulf Breeze Zoo